Twist

Having gone back from his vacacion grande in the Land Down Under, my very good buddy MDC agreed to be my resident food critic for this "almost" food blog.  He has the sharpest tongue when it comes to detecting ingredients in a dish and an impeccable eye for plating.  Lucky me, he will do it for free. :-p


First stop is the new restaurant in Visayas Ave. that replaced Jo's Kamayan where MDC and I used to eat in for a dose of native chicken.  I got a shot of the place when it was still undergoing renovation for the new place.

I immediately sent this picture to MDC, and though we were saddened by Jo's closure, the new place looked promising so we agreed to give it a try as soon as he comes back.


And the time came for the big reveal.  Introducing...

Fiesta Island Seafood Hub (F.I.S.H) is located at 47 Visayas cor Congressional Avenue Quezon City.


The interior is very impressive.  It was clean, cozy and carefully decorated, nothing loud, nothing out of place.  A far cry from Jo's barrio feel that had seen better days.

By the entrance is a pastry nook (sorry, failed to take a picture) enclosed with glass walls.  It has open areas, I guess for smokers or those who would like to dine al fresco, and enclosed areas perfect for private gatherings.  The biggest plus is the area called "boracay" which looks like your favorite Bora resort, in front of which is a lanai to give it the island feel.  Turns out, it is the KTV area!  Furthermore, the place has separate restrooms for he and she which were both spic and span (yes, i peeked in the ladies' room) as the rest of the area.  It is also worth mentioning that the staff were very accommodating to the guests, I even saw one desperately trying to help one customer set up her low-batt laptop, refusing to transfer to a different table.  The staff had to move mountains  for her.

Now, the main event, the make or break of it all, the food.


I would say that the food's a little pricey, but in hindsight, the prices are okay given the amount of money and work to put that kind of place together.


First entry, Pinaputok na Tilapia @ 195.

MDC: It is a bit too oily.  The aluminum foil ruined the look, it would have been a lot more appetizing if it was wrapped in banana leaves instead.  It tasted good but nothing out of the ordinary.  It was just fried tilapia bathed in oily sarsiado sauce.


Next, Garlic and Pepper Squid @ 225.

MDC: It is breaded squid, period.
ME:  I liked it though I could not actually, truly, taste the garlic nor the pepper in the squid.  I had to eat the real thing, those dark garnishing you see in the picture, to give it the kick I wanted.


Last entry are the drinks, I had watermelon shake, MDC had buko pandan shake.

Alas, MDC found something to rave about.  He loved his buko pandan shake with a hint of pinipig, I guess all he was looking for is a twist.  The dishes we tried were both good but offered nothing spectacularly new.  But the place deserves a second try, KTV anyone?